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Show BEAUTIFUL CITY A HEAP OF RUINS f - Awful Fate of Krushevo, in.Eu-j in.Eu-j ropean Turkey. MONASTIR, European Turkey, Aug. 25. The once beautiful city of Krushevo is a heap of ruins. The women and children are homeless, exposed ex-posed to the weather and famine. The town is rendered uninhabitable by the odor of corpses which are being gnawed by dogs and pigs, the Turkish Turk-ish authorities refusing to allow them to be removed under the pretext that an inquest will be held. Krushevo is situated on a hill southwest south-west and eight hours distant from Monastic Mon-astic It contah-.ed 250 houses and 1,000 inhabitants, mostly Vlacks. calling themselves Greeks. There were also 100 poor Bulgarian houses. The Vlacks are prosperous merchants who travel abroad on business, leaving their families fam-ilies in Krushevo. Objects of Envy. After, making fortunes abroad by their diligence and economy they return re-turn to spend their wealth in Krushevo, where they own fine houses, . furniture and jewels. The Turkish inhabitants of the surrounding villages have long envied the prosperity of Krushevo. The Macedonian committee, in eori-cert eori-cert with Bulgarian bands, had been completing arrangements during several sev-eral months with a view to occupying the town. In July last the authorities authori-ties of Krushevo, observing the threatening threat-ening movement, begged the Vali of Monastir to send reinforcements, as the garrison of thirty soldiers was insufficient in-sufficient to cope Avith an insurgent attack. at-tack. These warnings were ignored. I Taken, by Insurgents. On Aug. 2, the day fixed for the Bulgarian Bul-garian attack on Krushevo, while four marriages were being celebrated in the Greek church, a number of Komitijas, by prearrangement, remained hidden in the church and were locked in by the sarristan on the conclusion of the ceremonies. cere-monies. At 10 o'clock at night they sounded an alarm by ringing the church, bells. Simultaneously a band of 300 insurgents, headed by Peteroff, entered the town, discharging their rifles. The terrified inhabitants remained indoors. in-doors. The band firs.t burned the residence res-idence of the mudir and massacred the garrison of Turkish soldiers and officials offi-cials of the town, but the invaders spared the Turkish harems. Ten Christians Killed. On the following morning the vomitijas established a provisional government and instituted a new police po-lice and municipality. They killed ten Christians who, they believed, had betrayed be-trayed the plans of the commission. The notables of. the town were compelled com-pelled to contriUite $10,000 to the revolutionary revo-lutionary fund. The Bulgarian villagers villag-ers in the neighborhood, hearing that Krushevo was in the hands of the insurgents, in-surgents, entered the town and demanded de-manded ammunition, which, however, Vis unobtainable. The provisional government constructed con-structed a yamvart enclosing the town and the inhabitants were ordered to melt down their spoons to make bullets. bul-lets. ' The Turks, informed of the capture of the town, sent from Terlep three squadrons of cavalry, which were attacked at-tacked enroute and compelled to retire with a loss of 100 killed. In Turkish Hands. On Aug. 13 the Turks concentrated seven battalions and one battery on Krushevo. They made an offer to the Komitijas to allow the women and children to leave town. This proposal was declined and the bombardment began. be-gan. The Komitijas quickly abandoned the town and escaped to the neighboring neighbor-ing forest, where pursuit was impossible. impos-sible. The Turks entered the town and. guided by Turkish villagers from the neighborhood, attacked the houses of the Greek notables and ordered the initiates in-itiates to be searched and stripped. They seized the money and jewels, and ravished the women, those who resisted being killed. A Greek priest who sought to protect his daughter was killed. The girl's earrings were torn out and her hand was chopped off to secure a bracelet. When the houses had been pillaged the Turkish peasants loaded their horses with whatever was left and the residences were burned. The sack of Krushevo lasted three , days, during which time the women and children remained without food and, Shelter, and at the mercy of the soldiers and the Bashi-Bazouks. |